1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to window blinds, cellular and other shades, and the like, and more particularly to a device and system for facilitating the adjustment of such blinds and shades when installed or maintained. The present adjuster comprises a small cord clamp which secures removably in one end of a hollow rail of such blinds and shades, and which provides for the selective release of the lifting cord which is routed therethrough, to adjust the relative lengths of the cord runs at each side of the shade in order to level the lower rail. A method of adjusting the level of the rail using the present clamp, is also disclosed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Window shades and blinds conventionally use a system of draw or lift cords or strings which connect to a lower rail and run vertically through the shade or blind structure to an upper rail, where they are routed through the upper rail to exit at one end in a group. The cord group generally terminates in a pull knob or the like, which may be grasped by the operator of the blinds or shade to raise or lower the blinds or shade as desired. Such a system is used on various types of blinds and shades, such as Venetian blinds, cellular and pleated (xe2x80x9caccordion foldxe2x80x9d) shades, etc.
A chronic problem with such blinds and shades is the difficulty in getting the lower rail perfectly level, when the shade is installed in the window frame or casement. Conventionally, the individual lifting or draw cords pass through at least the upper panel or wall of a hollow lower rail (or perhaps through the entire rail, to exit from the bottom of the rail), with their ends passing through washers or some other small passage captured within or below the lower rail. The ends of the lifting or draw cords are knotted, with the knots serving to capture the ends of the draw cords immediately below or within the lower rail and serving to lift the lower rail when the cords are drawn upwardly as the extended cord group and/or knob is pulled. The above system is well known and conventional in the art.
While the above described system works well once it has been installed and adjusted, it is generally a rather tedious and time consuming job to adjust the lengths of the draw or lifting cords in order to make the lower rail perfectly level and/or parallel to the window sill or ledge. In the past, an installer would have to untie the lower end of at least one of the draw strings or cords, lift or lower the associated end of the lower rail, retie the draw cord, and possibly reassemble the apparatus if it was necessary to disassemble the lower rail for access to the end of the lifting cord. The installer was often not completely successful in his or her first attempt, and would have to repeat the process one or more times before finally getting the lower rail perfectly level and/or aligned with the window sill. The above described leveling process could also be used to adjust the height of the lowered shade or blind so that the lower rail is immediately adjacent, or just touching, the window sill.
The tedious and time consuming process described above, led to the development of other devices to assist in the leveling process. For example, many installations use a cord equalizer which may be adjustably positioned along the cord group extending from the upper rail. When the equalizer contacts the upper rail (or cord lock, at the point where the cord group enters the upper rail), it serves as a stop to prevent the cord from passing further into the upper rail, and thus prevents the shade from lowering further. This system results in a change of the lower rail level every time the lower rail height is adjusted, and obviously involves a considerable amount of tedious trial and error work before a satisfactory final setting is achieved which accurately positions both the height and level of the lower rail.
The above described problem has led various individuals to attempt to devise solutions, in the form of various types of fasteners, clips, etc. which install upon or within the lower rail or along the draw string line at some point. However, these devices have actually done little to truly facilitate the leveling procedure for shades and blinds, and merely require a different procedure than the older method of adjustment of the draw cord end knots. One example of such is the provision of a small clamp which must be disassembled to release the end of the draw string therefrom, and which must be reassembled to check the adjustment.
Moreover, with the popularity of xe2x80x9cdo it yourselfxe2x80x9d installations as a result of the rising costs of professional installations, more and more homeowners are attempting to install shades and blinds themselves. Conventional leveling systems are generally rather tedious and time consuming to adjust, as noted above, even for the professional installer. The typical homeowner can be completely frustrated in his or her attempts to level the lower rail of conventional blind and shade installations. They often end up calling in a professional for the adjustments, which negates much or all of the savings initially anticipated for the xe2x80x9cdo it yourselfxe2x80x9d installation, particularly where multiple installations have been made.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a level adjuster for window shades or blinds, which allows the person making the adjustment to do so by manipulating only a single easily accessed clamp or clip. The present adjuster is installed within one end of the conventional hollow extruded metal or plastic lower rail of the shade or blinds, with the continuous run of the left and right side lifting cords passing through the device. The adjuster holds the lifting cord immovably to hold the adjustment as desired. However, when an adjustment is needed, the person making the adjustment need only release the grip of the adjuster device using a small tool, whereupon the level of the lower rail may be adjusted as desired without need to untie knots, disconnect or disassemble components or the lifting line(s), etc. Removal of the tool causes the adjuster to grip the line to hold the new adjustment as desired.
A discussion of the related art of which the applicants are aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,071,791 issued on Feb. 23, 1937 to Ralph T. Hendricks, titled xe2x80x9cVenetian Blind,xe2x80x9d describes a mechanism facilitating the disassembly and reassembly of the lower rail from the rest of the assembly, so the lifting cords may be removed from the blinds and the individual slats removed from the side tapes for cleaning, replacement, etc. as necessary. However, the Hendricks mechanism provides only for the reinstallation of the lifting cords or lines in the same positions as originally installed. Hendricks does not provide any means of adjusting the length of either of the cords, much less adjusting them simultaneously using a single adjuster device, as provided by the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,247,260 issued on Jun. 24, 1941 to Abraham Stone, titled xe2x80x9cShade Structure For Windows And The Like,xe2x80x9d describes an accordion pleated shade configuration, with the draw cords passing through holes in each pleat or panel of the shade assembly, somewhat in the manner of the draw cord configuration of conventional Venetian blinds. Stone attaches the lower ends of the draw cords to the lower rail by passing them through the rail and knotting their distal ends. This assembly is conventional, and the prior art FIG. 7 of the present disclosure will be recognized as based upon FIG. 5 of the Stone U.S. Patent. Stone does not provide any means for easily adjusting the level of his lower rail by means of a single clamp, as provided by the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,594,806 issued on Apr. 29, 1952 to Harry S. Rosenbaum, titled xe2x80x9cCord And Tape Clip For Venetian Blinds,xe2x80x9d describes a construction in which the lower rail comprises a channel with an open upper area. Rosenbaum provides a pair of clips which fit into holes in the bottom wall or panel of the channel comprising the lower rail. Each clip has a keyhole slot therein, into which the knotted end of the lifting cord is installed. While this facilitates the removal of the lifting cords from the lower rail, it does nothing to ease the adjustment of the lengths of the cords to adjust the level of the lower rail, as each cord is independently knotted at its lower end. In fact, Rosenbaum teaches away from the present invention by noting that xe2x80x9cthe cord and the tape can be individually readily released from or secured to the clip without disturbing the other.xe2x80x9d (Col. 1, lines 22-25)
U.S. Pat. No. 2,697,487 issued on Dec. 21, 1954 to Harry Nelson, titled xe2x80x9cVenetian Blind Bottom Bar,xe2x80x9d describes a built-up sheet metal bar structure for a blind or shade, in which the lifting cords are secured to the underside of the top panel. Different embodiments are provided, but each uses hooks and/or clamps stamped and bent from the material of the sheet metal top panel. As the lifting cords are gripped by these bent sheet metal hooks and/or clamps, these elements must be unbent at least to some extent each time cord length adjustment is required, thus weakening the hooks and clamps. Nelson does not teach the provision of a continuous length of cord extending up each side of the blind and adjusted by a single adjuster, as in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,868,282 issued on Jan. 13, 1959 to Hal F. Mason et al., titled xe2x80x9cVenetian Blind Bottom Rail And Clip,xe2x80x9d describes an assembly wherein a pair of end clips are installed over the ends of the hollow bottom rail. The end clips and bottom rail are slotted along their upper surfaces, with the slots defining a capture passage for the knotted ends of the lifting cords when the components are assembled. As in all of the shade lower bar assemblies of which the present inventors are aware, the Mason et al. assembly is cumbersome to adjust the level of the lower bar, requiring disassembly of the end components from the bar, untying the knots at the ends of the lifting cords, retying the knots as desired, reassembling the components for a trial fit, and repeating the procedure if the alignment is still not correct.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,872,976 issued on Feb. 10, 1959 to Hans K. Lorentzen, titled xe2x80x9cCord Lock Fitting,xe2x80x9d describes a cord lock for holding the lifting cords and their attached blinds at some height above the window sill, as desired. The Lorentzen lift cord run is essentially opposite that of the present invention, with Lorentzen stating that the lift cord is actually a single length of line extending from its two separate ends in the lower bar, through the top bar, and down to form a free end loop or bight which may be used by the operator to adjust the height of the blinds as desired. (Col. 2, lines 26-34) Lorentzen is silent regarding any level adjustment of the lower bar. However, it is clear from the above description that each cord end must be adjusted separately, unlike the present invention with its single adjuster for both cords.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,540 issued on Apr. 10, 1984 to Parker I. Tsuhako, titled xe2x80x9cBottom Rail Structural Configuration For A Venetian Blind,xe2x80x9d describes separable top and bottom rail components, with the side walls of the top component fitting between the side walls of the bottom component. The lines for the tilt adjusting lines or xe2x80x9cslat ladderxe2x80x9d are captured between the two walls, with the ends knotted to prevent their escape. The lifting or draw cords also have knotted ends captured within passages in the top component. As in all the other blind and shade structures discussed to this point, level adjustment of the Tsuhako blind assembly can only be accomplished by disassembling the two components, untying the knot at at least one end of the lifting cord and retying the knot as desired, reassembling the assembly and checking the level, and possibly repeating the process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,012 issued on Nov. 18, 1986 to Edward T. Rude et al., titled xe2x80x9cHeadrail Hardware For Hanging Window Coverings,xe2x80x9d describes a capstan system in which a rotating rod is used to wind the lift cords thereon to lift the shade or blinds. Various details are described which provide for the winding of a single layer of cord onto the rotating rod. Length adjustment of the separate lift cords is provided by clips which secure the ends of the cords to the rod. In order to adjust the level of the lower bar or rail, the shade must be lowered completely, the upper bar or rail opened, and at least one of the clips removed and replaced to reposition the upper end of the cord, unlike the single adjustment for both sides provided by the present adjuster invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,382 issued on Feb. 2, 1988 to Francis Vecchiarelli, titled xe2x80x9cWindow Blind Assembly,xe2x80x9d describes a blind wherein the two lift cords run horizontally through the bottom rail, where they are connected together by a tension spring. The Vecchiarelli blind assembly is adapted for installation in non-vertical orientations, and includes opposite lower rail end fittings with protruding pins, which engage mating sockets in the window frame to hold the blind assembly in other than a vertical orientation. When the bottom rail is free, the spring is contracted, and the only tension on the lift cords is due to the weight of the blind assembly, with the blind assembly hanging free for lifting by the lift cords. However, when the bottom rail is secured within the frame by the pins of the two bottom rail end pieces, additional tension may be applied to the lift cords, with the spring providing a counter tension to hold the blind assembly taut within the window frame. However, Vecchiarelli does not provide any adjustment for the lengths of the two lift cords, as is clearly shown by their fixed attachment to the tension spring in FIG. 5 of the Vecchiarelli U.S. Patent. As the tension spring appears to be free within the lower rail, and the two lift cords are free to pass through guides in the top of the lower rail and thence upwardly through the blind slats, it appears that there is no means to hold a constant adjustment of the lengths of the two lift cords in the Vecchiarelli blind assembly. Certainly, no single adjustment for the two sides is disclosed by Vecchiarelli.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,196 issued on Oct. 20, 1992 to John Corey et al., titled xe2x80x9cShade Positioning And Mounting Apparatus,xe2x80x9d describes a cord locking cam for holding the lift cord and shade in a desired position, and means for attaching the head rail to an adjacent structure without need for tools or other components. No means for adjusting the lengths of the draw cords or lines is disclosed by Corey et al. It is noted that Corey et al. show their head rail system with pleated or accordion fold shades, rather than with blinds. It should be noted that the present level adjuster invention is also operable with such pleated, accordion fold, xe2x80x9choneycomb,xe2x80x9d and/or other styles and configurations of shades, as well as with Venetian blinds.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,257 issued on Jul. 2, 1996 to Otto Kuhar, titled xe2x80x9cCordless, Balanced Window Covering,xe2x80x9d describes a system using a series of coiled springs to apply a lifting force to the lifting cords of the blinds or shade. The lifting cords do not extend outwardly from the upper rail for manipulation by an operator for raising or lowering the shade, as in the present system. Rather, the operator merely raises or lowers the lower bar, with the springs applying the lifting force and essentially counterbalancing the weight of the assembly. While Kuhar states that multiple springs may be interconnected to provide an even lifting force to each side of the assembly, he does not disclose any means for adjusting the level of the lower bar. It would appear that such lower bar level adjustment would be cumbersome with the Kuhar shade, unlike the adjustment of the present shade.
U.S. Pat. No. D-162,192 and D-168,579, respectively issued on Feb. 27, 1951 and Jan. 6, 1953 to Hans K. Lorentzen, both titled xe2x80x9cEnd Cap For A Venetian Blind Bottom Bar,xe2x80x9d both illustrate designs which apparently fit over the end of the lower bar of the blind assembly. No means is apparent in either of the Lorentzen designs for holding a lift cord therein, and/or for releasing such a lift cord held therein for adjusting the two opposite ends of the cord to level the lower bar to which they are attached, as provided by the present invention.
European Patent Publication No. 413,443 published on Feb. 20, 1991 to Hunter Douglas Industries, titled xe2x80x9cVenetian Blinds,xe2x80x9d describes a clip which is used to secure the ladder tapes or lines to the bottom rail of a Venetian blind assembly. The ""443 European Patent Publication notes the time consuming means of accomplishing this procedure using conventional techniques, which is recognized by the present inventors. However, the present invention extends beyond the manufacture of only Venetian blinds, to provide an easy means for adjusting the relative height or level of the lower bar or rail of blinds, shades, and similar window coverings at installation. Such means is not disclosed in the ""443 European Patent Publication.
European Patent Publication No. 513,468 published on Nov. 19, 1992 to Aktiebolaget Sani-Maskiner, titled xe2x80x9cWindow Covering Apparatus,xe2x80x9d describes a double action or xe2x80x9ctop down, bottom upxe2x80x9d shade, in which the upper portion comprises a series of conventionally actuated Venetian blinds and the lower portion comprises a conventional accordion pleated shade. The blinds and shade portions are separated by an intermediate bar, with the blind and shade portions being independently operable from one another. However, no disclosure is made of any form of lateral or level adjustment for either the intermediate or lower bars or rails of the window shade assembly disclosed in the ""468 European Patent Publication.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 07-247,774 published on Sep. 26, 1995 to Masahiro Nagashima et al. describes (according to the drawings and English abstract) lower rail end caps having cushioning thereon. The end caps cushion the impact of the bottom rail against the floor or window sill when the blinds are lowered abruptly. No means is apparent in the ""774 Japanese Patent Publication for adjusting the level of the lower rail.
Finally, European Patent Publication No. 696,672 published on Feb. 14, 1996 to Eclipse Blinds Limited, titled xe2x80x9cPleated Blinds,xe2x80x9d describes the construction of the lifting cords wherein the cords include a plurality of evenly spaced rungs extending laterally therefrom. The rungs support the pleats in the shade to ensure even spacing of the pleats when the shade is lowered. No means is apparent in the ""672 European Patent Publication for adjusting the lengths of the lifting cords to level the lower bar.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a level adjuster for window shades solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The present invention is a means for quickly and easily adjusting the level of the bottom rail of a window shade or the like (blinds, etc.). The present invention provides a clip or clamp which fits into one end of a conventional hollow rail or bar (usually, but not necessarily, the lower rail) in a window shade installation. The clip has a generally U-shaped shoe or tongue which extends into the interior of the rail, and which bears against a crossmember of the clip. The single, continuous draw cord for lifting the shade or blinds extends from each side of the shade and passes through the bottom rail to pass between the clamping shoe or tongue and the crossmember of the adjuster clip, where it is held immovably in place.
When level adjustment of the lower bar is required, a small tool (e.g., nail or the like) is inserted through a hole in the base or end of the clip, and is used to lever or raise the gripping shoe away from the crossmember. This frees the draw cord, allowing the ends of the lower rail to be raised or lowered as required in order to level the rail or to align the rail with the window sill. The draw cord passes laterally back and forth through the interior of the lower rail and around the crossmember of the clip as the rail ends are relatively raised or lowered, until the rail alignment is adjusted as desired. The tool is then removed from the clip, allowing the shoe to flex back toward the crossmember to grip the draw cord immovably therebetween.
The present adjuster clip is extremely economical to manufacture, and will be seen to provide significant savings in labor time over the older conventional shade leveling procedure, in which one or both ends of the discontinuous draw cord must be accessed, untied, and retied, perhaps requiring a few repetitions before a satisfactory level alignment is achieved for the lower rail of the shade. The prior art leveling procedure can be all the more difficult, as it may be interconnected with the height adjustment of the lower rail when it is extended to its lowest position. Accordingly, the present shade rail level adjuster provides a considerable savings of time and effort over prior art lower rail leveling systems.
The present level adjuster may be economically formed of a durable plastic material, with the exposed outer portion being formed to match the opposite end cap of the rail. Alternatively, composite construction may be used, with the tongue or shoe being formed as a metal blade which is assembled with or cast integrally with the plastic end cap. Yet another alternative provides for the entire device to be stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, if so desired.
The present adjuster clip is adaptable to virtually any type of vertically raising and lowering shade or blind, whether cellular or other shades comprising one or more continuous sheets of fabric or other material, or blinds having a series of separate slats. The present adjuster may also be used with duofold type shades, having independently operable upper and lower portions.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an adjuster clip or clamp for facilitating the level adjustment of the lower rail of window shades, blinds, and similar window coverings.
It is another object of the invention to provide such an adjuster clip which fits within one end of the conventional hollow lower rail of a window shade or blind installation, and which has an inwardly extending shoe or tongue which bears resiliently against a crossmember within the clip to grip the draw cord which extends therebetween.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a continuous draw cord routing extending through the upper rail, down each side of the shade assembly, and through the lower rail to wrap around the crossmember of the level adjuster.
Still another object of the invention is to provide for the quick and easy release of the grip of the adjuster on the draw cord, by inserting a tool into a passage in the adjuster end cap to release the grip of the shoe or tongue on the draw cord, thereby allowing movement of the draw cord relative to the adjuster.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.